Sewage in public waterways is becoming a significant health problem in the UK, due to the ageing infrastructure and the lack of investment.

The UK has some Victorian-era sewers

Many parts of the UK still rely on outdated sewer systems built in the Victorian era. These systems are not designed to handle the current population density or modern water usage levels, causing them to fail more often. This results in more sewage being discharged into rivers and coastal areas.

Sewage is discharged frequently into rivers

The UK’s drainage system often uses combined sewers, which collect both wastewater and rainwater. During heavy rainfall, these systems can become overwhelmed.

These overflow systems are designed to release untreated sewage into rivers and seas to prevent flooding of homes and streets. Overflows are now occurring more frequently. This leads to larger amounts of untreated sewage entering public waterways, which poses health risks.

According to inews Scottish Water agrees that one-fifth of its sewage discharge points are not adequate for the task.

Flooding is more frequent

Climate change is bringing more frequent and intense storms, leading to higher volumes of rainwater entering the sewer systems. More frequent flooding, exacerbated by climate change, can overwhelm sewer systems, causing raw sewage to back up into homes and streets, or overflow into rivers and seas.

If you’re experiencing frequent drain issues, booking a CCTV drain survey in Nottingham can provide a detailed visual inspection to pinpoint the problem. A CCTV drain survey Nottingham is the best solution for identifying collapsed pipes or tree root intrusions that may be affecting your drains.

What about the health impact?

Contaminated waterways increase the risk of infections from bacteria and viruses, leading to illnesses such as gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and respiratory infections.

Many believe the system needs to be upgraded

Since the privatisation of water companies in the UK, there has been criticism that these companies prioritise profits over infrastructure investment. As a result, there has been insufficient spending on upgrading the sewage systems to prevent overflows.